1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, such as a note-type personal computer (hereafter called a notebook PC). In particular, the present invention relates to a structure of a housing body of the information processing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the spread of notebook PCs has expanded and notebook PCs having not only various functions but also various forms are available in the market.
The notebook PC generally is driven by power fed from a rechargeable battery. The battery is detachable from a predetermined position of the notebook PC. The latest notebook PCs are also equipped with detachable storage media such as a hard disk drive (hereafter called an HDD) and a silicon disc drive. For such a notebook PC, the detachable HDD has such main purposes as an exchange due to degradation or a failure, upgrade of memory-capacity, and data transfer. In the case of removing the HDD from the notebook PC, the general procedures are removing first a hard disk cover plate (HDD cover plate) that covers the HDD, removing an HDD-connecting connector thereafter, and finally taking out the HDD from the notebook PC.
JP H6-119082A discloses a configuration in which an HDD is detachable from an information processing apparatus, and when the information processing apparatus is fixed to an external fixed location, the HDD cannot be attached and detached to and from the apparatus. JP 2002-182788A discloses a configuration in which a battery and a detachable HDD are built-in in layers. JP 2006-259797A discloses a locking mechanism that can lock an HDD detachably to an information processing apparatus and the control method thereof JP 2007-134105A discloses a configuration in which an HDD is attached detachably to a battery pack. And JP 2007-150953A discloses a configuration in which a head of an HDD is evacuated and the disc is thereby protected when a battery is removed from an information processing apparatus.
However, when removing an HDD cover plate and removing the HDD from the notebook PC in a conventional configuration, the power of the notebook PC may be on due to the power fed from the battery. If the HDD is removed from the notebook PC in spite of the HDD being in a power-on state and in an operating state, a magnetic head in the HDD may damage the disc surface, and recording as well as reproduction of data thereby may become impossible. In the worst case, it becomes impossible to use all the recording surfaces of the disc.